My goat is freaking out!!!

Bee_Rain · #1 12/01/05, 11:07 PM

Today I noticed my 6 year old nubian sort of acting weird. She wasnt comming out of her barn and wasn't eating or drinking. Now,-hours later-She's acting like she's rabid or something. She won't eat or drink, she's stumbling around, acting paranoid, won't lay down like she usually does after dark,and her back legs seem to be giving out. She's all off balance, leaning up on the house to stablize herself.

She's usually tethered to her barn, but I let her off in fear of her hurting herself by being tetherd. Mind you, this all has happend after dark when she's usually snuggled up in her barn. Since I let her off, she came out staggering and is roaming around the yard, mostly near the house digging clearings to lay down in but she never does. She's just kind of wandering and its got us all very concerned.

She's usually very happy to see me and loves when I scratch her head, but now she acts like I'm a threat or like my touches hurt her. She also acts like she doesn't trust me.

She ate alot of corn yesterday, due to the snowfall yesterday and lack of foraging opportunity.

Anybody have any ideas??

chamoisee · #2 12/01/05, 11:19 PM

CALL YOUR VET RIGHT AWAY!!!! This is beyond the scope of what we can handle here and this doe will probably die unless somethign happens very quickly. If he doesn't have a clue, then as a last resort I suppose you could go with massive vitamin B complex shots, which are usually what's indicated in something neurological as this seems to be.

Also- if she dies before the vet can help her or in spite of care, you should still call the vet. This could be scrapie or chronic wasting disease, for example...but I think it's definitely serious and needs looking into.

chamoisee · #3 12/01/05, 11:21 PM

Even if you can't afford for the vet to come out or to take the doe there, I would at least call and *talk* to him on the phone- they don't charge for that.

Bee_Rain · #4 12/01/05, 11:45 PM

It's so late here now, I couldn't get a vet on the phone. I don't have any B complex either. I'm hoping-no, praying- by morning she'll straighten out a little. She seems a little calmer and even walks a little better, but something is definetly wrong, like her central nerves are off.

She won't go back inside her barn. She's never outside this time of night. It's almost like she's afraid to sleep.

I'll be up all night with her, she's my only goat, a part of our family. I just wish we had the means get her the immediate help she needs...

Does anybody recognize these symptoms??

sancraft · #5 12/02/05, 01:04 AM

I don't know what this could be, but it sounds serious. I hope you can get her to a vet first thing in the morning.

Misty · #6 12/02/05, 06:49 AM

Give that goat 10cc of penicillin orally and 500 mg of thiamin orally. You have to get the thiamin from the vet. It sounds like it could be polio or listeriosis. The treatment is the same for both. Don't let your vet tell you there is no treatment. You can repeat it the next day if you need. Pay attention you your bottle of thiamin. It comes in 200mg/ml, 500mg/ml and 1000 or (1g)/ml. Adjust your dose accordingly.

Jillis · #7 12/02/05, 07:24 AM

If you can't get her take it orally in her condition, give it to her by injection. Could she have gotten into something poisonous to eat? Or maybe some moldy hay?
I said a prayer for your poor baby! It is such a helpless feeling when you don't know what is wrong or what to do about it!
{{{HUGS}}} Jillis

chma4 · #8 12/02/05, 07:41 AM

I have a question, couldnt a goat with menegial worms act this way?

goatkid · #9 12/02/05, 12:25 PM

This sounds like polio or listeriosis to me. I know polio can be caused by a goat eating too much grain. It sets off metabolic problems. Thiamine works. I give 5cc sub Q. Goats with polio freak out because they can't see. I aslo give Biomycin and Banamine. I never give my goats more grain in place of forage. I keep plenty of hay on hand.

moonspinner · #10 12/02/05, 05:49 PM

I agree, polio or listeriosis. They can be brought on by eating too much corn. Both can have similar symptoms. Go to www.tennesseemeatgoats.com and there is a writeup on both diseases. I'd recommend Thiamine right away and penicillin to cover both bases. Can you get a temp on her?

Nancy_in_GA · #11 12/03/05, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckshotboers

No temp/polio.....temp/ listeriosis....plain and simple.

But by the time they show the symptoms of staggering, the temp can be low with listeriosis. The high temp comes just before the obvious symptoms appear in some cases. At least it did with our goat (confirmed listeriosis by necropsy).

Nancy

dbarjacres · #12 12/03/05, 02:44 PM

What if she was poisened? Eating a lot of corn would ring that alarm bell for me. Corn is well known for toxins in the livestock world. Just another idea for you to think about.

Sher · #13 12/03/05, 05:24 PM

Gonna agree that the corn set something into motion here. I see you are in Nebraska..my first thought was that she had a load of corn in her and wondered if maybe it had aflatoxin in it. There were parts of my state..Iowa...that had it. When we ordered feed...we made a point of telling them that we did NOT want corn that was affected by it. If this is the case...I would look into treatment for toxic poisoning.

Wish I could be of more help...I said a prayer for you and your goat. Hope all is better by morning.

moonspinner · #14 12/03/05, 05:44 PM

How's she doing today?

chamoisee · #15 12/03/05, 08:05 PM

Ummm....I am guessing that the doe is dead, and that's why we haven't heard any more about it.

Ark · #16 12/04/05, 05:52 AM

I thought ALL corn had AFLATOXIN in it? I certainly cant find any without it around here.
From the research I did on it online, I have decided to avoid corn altogether.
We have 2 deer feeders set up on our property and the goats do get over there to eat what they can, so we are filling them with alfalfa pellets now.

Bee Rain - how is your goat?

Rachel

Bee_Rain · #17 12/05/05, 02:24 AM

Just an update,

My goat is fine, back to her normal self. My gut is telling me that it was the corn. I don't think it was toxic though. My son gave her alot of it which she usually doesn't really ever eat. Too much, too fast is my guess.

Thanks for the concern everyone!

Misty · #18 12/05/05, 06:48 AM

that will do it!!
Glad she is better.

Sher · #19 12/05/05, 08:36 AM

Around here the feed stores/elevators black light it to see if and how much aflatoxin is in a load. It can also .. supposedly..get more intense in the bin.

We have a great elevator guy in the next town. He makes sure that people buying feed that he mixes..don't get the toxin. I think there is an "acceptable limit". But I don't want any in mine. Maybe I am just overly cautious. They were really watching it here this fall...as we are in a severe drought which really makes corn susceptible to it.

moonspinner · #20 12/05/05, 04:49 PM

You learn something all the time here. I wasn't previously aware of aflatoxin. So glad the goat is doing well now.